Refugee Influx Causes Food Shortage Within The Boarder Community

The Bunagana town council Mayor, Ismail Ndambajje has expressed worry over continued stay of refugees among community members which is likely to cause excessive hunger in the coming months due to food shortages among host families.

According to Ndambajje, residents are no longer saving food for the future because they are sharing all harvests with the huge number of relatives that fled war in Democratic Republic of Congo between M23 Rebels and Congolese army.

He appealed to the Kisoro district woman MP who doubles as the state minister for youths and children affairs to advocate for food relief to his people to avoid the likely consequences.

Ndambajje says that poor sanitation in the area has also worsened due to the overwhelming population and people are at a risk of contracting several diseases especially when rains start.

He also expressed his dissatisfaction towards different humanitarian and development agencies that offer no help to his community but only take photos in the name of refugee assessment.

The state minister of children and youths affairs who doubles as the Kisoro district woman MP, Hon. Sarah Nyirabashitsi said that she is still questioning the motives behind refugees among the communities denying reporting to the official refugee reception centre in Nyakabande Sub County.

She also asked residents to encourage refugees to go to the refugee camp in Nyakabande because they are a security threat to the country.

The Kisoro resident district commissioner, Hajji Shafique Ssekandi said that the district has since April this year been diplomatically persuading asylum seekers to relocate from communities to Nyakande refugee camp and over 1,300 have relocated within the last three days while over 14,000 have left the communities since the relocation campaign started. He called upon the remaining individuals to always accept to join the refugee camp.